A Happy Ending
by LaceyV
Summary: With Louis and his supporters laying siege to the castle, Mary makes an impossible choice. For once, she chooses to listen to her head and not her heart. If her betrayal of Francis can protect Scotland, then she feels it is her duty to do it. Mary x Louis - I was insanely unhappy with the season 2 finale... EDIT: Please don't read if you're going to leave a negative review.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was written very quickly and is unbeta'd and will remain so for a while since I am writing purely from inspiration and don't have time to work on finding a beta. Please be respectful with reviews and don't hate me for what I'm going to do in the next chapter...**

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 _"Nothing ever ends poetically. It ends and we turn it into poetry. All that blood was never once beautiful - it was just red." -_ Kate Rokowski

Mary rode out of the castle gates, once again completely alone. Somehow after all this time, her heart was the one thing telling her to stay in the castle with Francis, her head telling her to go to the Prince of Condé. It had occurred to her to use his love for her (if he hadn't yet gone mad and had any left) against him and secure Francis' throne, but after thinking about it for hours she saw this as a way of making peace with Elizabeth and finally settling the infighting in Scotland. She would marry a Protestant king allied with England. It helped her decision that even after his betrayal to Elizabeth, he was still the first in her heart. Though she couldn't bear to see either Francis _or_ Louis killed, she knew that if she stayed with Francis she wouldn't be able to guarantee Scotland's existence and her safety with Elizabeth's power growing so rapidly.

She took one last look behind her at the flickering lights of the castle. By the end of the day tomorrow, it would all be over, and she would either be marrying a man who loved her more than he loved anything or her head would be mounted next to his on a spike on the palace gates. She prayed that she was making the right choice - to protect herself, Scotland, and possibly the unborn child she could be carrying. She had already prayed for forgiveness – if the sins she was about to commit could be forgiven.

"You there! Identify yourself!" came a shout as she neared the military encampment.

"I am Mary, Queen of Scotland and France. I demand an audience with _King_ Louis," she replied, her voice unwavering.

She could not let on how terrified she was – of the nearing events and now, of herself too.

The man shouted something to one of his peers and began to lead her horse into the heart of the camp. They stopped in front of a large tent, which obviously belonged to the newly proclaimed King of France. She dismounted and steeled herself to face Louis as she entered the tent.

"I told you not to disturb me," he exclaimed, but as he turned and saw her his face softened.

"Mary…" he said, looking at her in bewilderment. "Leave us," he ordered, turning to the guard standing by the entrance to the tent.

"Francis told me what you said… That you wanted to keep me safe. That you wanted to take the crown and make me your wife," said Mary.

"That's all I've ever wanted…"

"I've come to tell you that that's what I want too."

"No, what sort of trickery –" started Louis.

"No! It's not a trick, Louis, please. You know I loved you, and real love never fades, not truly. You have to believe me," exclaimed Mary.

"You've chosen him over me time and again," said Louis, his voice full of pain.

"He is my husband and I don't want harm to come to him, but I can't be with Francis, not anymore. I have chosen to forfeit whatever love I had for him because as a queen, I have a duty to my people – the people of Scotland. If Francis wins this fight – if he holds onto his crown then I will lose everything. My fate, my death, will be sealed."

"Francis would never let that happen to you, no matter how much you hurt him."

"There may be evidence of our affair… Of our love and my treason that even Francis could never pardon," Mary began.

Louis looked at her, knowing what was about to come.

"I haven't shared a bed with my husband in months, and yet…" Mary paused, knowing she was overplaying the situation both for him and for herself, trying to justify her actions. "Louis I think I am pregnant. I might be carrying your child. Please, Louis, if Francis wins, I will lose my head, my country, and possibly an unborn child. My choice is not only about love, not this time. It is about my country and my duty as queen to do right by my people. If I marry you, France will have a Catholic queen and Scotland will have a Protestant king. It could end the conflicts in both our countries."

His eyes filled with tears of happiness as he took a step toward her "Mary…"

Mary reached into her cape and clutched the handle of her dagger. With shaking hands, she drew it and pointed it at her stomach.

"Don't come any closer – not yet," she said, feeling pain at the look of horror on Louis' face.

"I will not do this if I don't have to, but I have conditions – conditions that must be met, otherwise I am of more use to my people dead than alive."

Louis nodded, unable to speak seeing the love of his life ready to kill herself.

"You have to promise that you will marry me when this is all over, and that you will protect me from Elizabeth at any cost. She wants my head and I don't know why but I cannot lose it, not to her. You must make every effort to spare innocents within the castle. No woman should have to suffer what I suffered. And finally, you have to kill Catherine. I don't care how, but as soon as possible. Once she learns of what I've done, there will be no end until one of us is dead."

"I want to trust you Mary, but how do I know you won't betray me?" he said, his voice full of the pain she had caused him.

"I took an enormous risk coming here, because I believe in you, and I trust that you can win this fight," replied Mary.

"I agree to your terms. Mary, I would do anything for you. Please, put down the knife," Louis' voice was beginning to falter.

Her hands trembling uncontrollably now, she dropped the knife. She wanted to cry – but now was not the time.

Louis walked up to her slowly and pulled her into his arms.

"I just wish it didn't have to be like this," she said, a sob escaping her throat.

"A child – with you…" he murmured into her hair.

Mary pushed him away slightly.

"Louis, there might not be a child. I didn't have sufficient time and methods to check without arousing suspicion…"

"It doesn't matter. If there isn't one now, then there will be soon enough," he said, kissing her.

Despite her uncertainty and fear, she found herself kissing him back.

"We don't have to be careful anymore," she said, as his eyes filled with love and lust and he pulled her closer.

Soon, they were lying in bed breathing heavily, their limbs intertwined.

"I was so afraid – I still am," said Mary. "By this time tomorrow, I will either be an unmarried woman again, waiting to marry the love of my life – or our heads will be mounted on spikes above the palace gates. But somehow, being with you – I'm not so afraid anymore, because you will be with me, no matter what."

"We will succeed. Together. As soon as Francis is… dead," Mary winced as she heard the words. "We will be married, and by both the Catholic and the Protestant church if we can."

Mary buried her face in his shoulder to keep herself from crying.

The next morning was a blur. Mary stood next to Louis as he gave final orders to the many lords now under his command. She felt so many eyes upon her that it took everything she had to stand with her head tall next to the man she loved.

 _I am a queen,_ she reminded herself.

"Spare members of the royal family if you can – they will be useful hostages if need be and if not they will be executed publicly. Innocents should not be harmed unless it is unavoidable. We are men of god, and we must prove that to all of France today," said Louis, the men around him erupting in cheers with shouts of "Long live King Louis!"

After addressing his troops, Louis pulled Mary aside as he donned his armor.

"You'll join me at the castle when it's safe but… if anything should happen to me, my servants have orders to get you to Scotland safely. God willing, I will send for you before the day is through."

He began to mount his horse as her voice rang out.

"Louis, I love you. Godspeed."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I had first thought this was going to be a oneshot, but it's turned into a short multichapter. I'm planning five or six chapters at the very least. Lastly, I want to apologize for what happens in this chapter. I know this doesn't sound much like a happy ending right now, but it is - trust me, it is.**

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 _"She learned how to smile with blood in her mouth. She was brave, she was beautiful, but it was ugly."_

Louis rode out in the second wave of soldiers. He had wanted to lead the charge on the castle himself, but his lords had stopped him.

"You are a prince of the blood and our King. You must be kept safe at any cost," his leading nobles has said.

By the time he got to the castle, most of the fighting had moved inside, and his men were clearly winning. It was hard to expect anything less, since the castle hadn't been prepared for an attack of this size. To his left, a flicker of movement caught his eye and he had just enough time to dodge the blow of one of Francis' men. He made quick work of killing the man, and made his way into the castle, where the sounds of battle still echoed through the halls.

Upon entering the castle, one of his lords ran up to him and said, "The King is in his chambers and the fighting is almost over. You must go there immediately to finish him off, there cannot be two kings for long!"

Louis made his way with his personal guard to the King's chambers.

"All of you, wait outside!" he barked, and slipped into the room.

What he found was not what he could have ever expected. Francis was lying on the ground, in a pool of his own blood. He was unconscious, and somehow, no matter how much he hated Francis for causing Mary so much pain, he couldn't kill him like this.

He yelled for his personal guards and told them to discreetly take Francis down to the dungeon, but to tell anyone who asked that Louis had killed Francis himself. Louis then took his sword and coated it in the blood pooled on the floor where Francis had been, and made his way to the throne room.

News of the King's death spread quickly through the castle, and the fighting had ceased. Louis ordered some of his men to fetch Mary, and entered the throne room, where all the surviving nobles, both Catholic and Protestant were gathered.

"All hail Louis, King of France!" came the cry.

Louis, feeling emboldened by the cheers, walked up the steps and sat in the King's throne. The first battle had been won. Now, the second awaited him.

* * *

Mary didn't know how to feel as she found herself riding through the gates of the castle once again. The dead littered the grounds and Mary truly believed she might be pregnant when she couldn't resist the urge to vomit.

She was escorted to the throne room, where Louis sat on the throne, Francis' crown the floor by his feet, surrounded by nobles both Protestant and Catholic alike.

The crowd parted for her as an air of confusion took over the room. With her head high, she mounted the steps up to the queen's throne and sat. An uneasy quiet filled the room until Louis decided to speak.

"We have been victorious, and we would not have been without the help of Queen Mary. As a show of unity in France and in Scotland, and to prove to our enemies that despite a change in monarch we are not weak and divided, I will take Queen Mary to wife as soon as possible."

Loud murmuring and whispering ensued.

"For those of you who do not know, Queen Mary came to me last night and gave me valuable information that saved many innocent lives and provided the help we needed to ensure our victory," said Louis, attempting to silence the increasing agitation of the nobles.

"Lord Narcisse. I believe you know the fastest ways to get word to the Vatican. Inform them that a Protestant King now sits on the French throne, and that if the Vatican wishes to keep their influence here, the pope must sanction Queen Mary's marriage to me. Our wedding will take place in three weeks time and I want no expense spared – France must show herself to be as strong as ever."

As many of the lords nodded and expressed their approval, many others seemed outraged. Mary could not hold her tongue any longer.

"I know what many of you may think of me. I am a Catholic queen, but I betrayed my husband to help a Protestant usurper. What you all must know is that I did what I thought was best for my country, Scotland. Your King speaks the truth – in this marriage we will show unity, and an unprecedented tolerance for religious difference. I know that what I have done is right for Scotland and for France, regardless of my personal feelings. I pray that you, my Lords, realize the same."

"Did you not support the armed oppression of the Protestants, your Majesty?" cried one of the Protestant Lords in the crowd.

Louis was ready to jump up and run him through with a sword but Mary put up her hand to stop him.

"From the very beginning I believed that Protestants should be given the freedom to practice their religion in peace. King Francis disagreed with me, and this was truly where the rift between us began. I have suffered more than you will ever know because of the choices King Francis made dealing with the religious tension between our two faiths. I never, ever, supported such a thing."

The room fell quiet once more as the implied trials Mary had suffered entered the minds of the nobles. There was no doubt that those who knew the details of the attack could guess what had happened to her just months earlier.

Louis immediately saw Mary falter when she mentioned the horrific events of the attack.

"We can deal with pressing court matters tomorrow – today, we must celebrate our victory!" announced Louis, and the lords cheered in response.

Once the Lords had left to celebrate their new king, Mary and Louis found a chance to leave and speak privately for the first time that day.

"Is it true? Is Francis dead?" she asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"No," replied Louis.

"Thank god," whispered Mary, forming a plan in her head.

"But he will be by morning."

"I want to see him," Mary stated.

"What? Why?" asked Louis, his jealousy bubbling up.

"I am the one who sentenced him to death – I have to see him one last time."

"Mary, you can't be serious –"

"I am," she said. "I have to do this, Louis."

"If anyone sees you, or if god forbid you help him escape –"

Louis realized how much pain Mary was in – how much pain her decision had caused her, and would cause her, for the rest of her life. No matter where her heart was now, she had always cared for Francis and betraying him must have been one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do.

"Very well, but I'm coming with you."

"Before we go, I need to know that Catherine is dead. If she is still alive and learns I am here, there will be no hope left for me."

"Catherine De Medici poisoned herself and Claude when she heard the castle had fallen."

"No, that's not enough. I need to see her body. I will not believe it until I see it myself."

Louis and Mary, flanked by his personal guards made their way to the Queen Mother's chambers. Most of the bodies in the hallways had been removed, and the servants of the castle had begun to clean away the blood. The regular residents of the castle, those who had not fled and were still alive, were milling about in a daze. Mary searched their faces for any familiarity – Kenna, Bash, Lola, Leith – but found none.

They walked into the chambers of Catherine De Medici and Mary once again felt the urge to vomit, as the smell of death had already taken over the room. Claude was slumped in a chair at the end of a long dining table. Across from her, Catherine lay on the ground, her eyes stone cold, as terrifying in death as she had been in life.

Mary took a deep breath to hold back her tears. Regardless of the animosity between them, Catherine had been the first one to help her after the Protestant attack on the castle.

"Very well, I have been convinced." She turned to one of the guards. "See that they receive a proper burial in the royal cemetery."

The guard looked at his King, who nodded his approval.

"And now, let me go do what must be done," she said stoically.

They made their way discreetly to the dungeons, where Francis was being held.

"Wait for me in my chambers," murmured Mary as she steeled herself for what was to come.

"I'm not letting you go in there alone," he said, putting his hand on hers.

"I must do this alone, Louis. Please, just meet me in my chambers," replied Mary, her eyes glassed over.

Louis nodded slowly and left back the way they had come.

Once she was sure he had gone, Mary unsheathed her dagger, took a deep breath, and walked into the dark cell.

"You're here to kill me," Francis' weak voice cut the silence like a knife.

He had been expecting someone else. Mary could only imagine that the last face he'd thought he'd see was hers. Fate was a strange and merciless being.

"Mary?" he said in confusion and anger. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm so sorry it came to this, Francis. It was your choices that drove us apart, but it my choices that put us here," said Mary, trying her best to stay strong.

"Why?" he asked through clenched teeth, "Why did you do this?"

"Because," replied Mary, "My heart told me not to abandon you – and it was listening to my heart that created this whole mess. I had to think of Scotland before I thought of myself this time. I couldn't afford to listen to my heart anymore."

A tear dripped down Mary's face as she knelt next to her husband.

"Louis – he did this," he yelled, "I trusted him and he destroyed everything!"

"No! It was not his doing. It was mine. Just like with Bash – I am the one who drove Louis to do this. All this blood – it is on my hands," exclaimed Mary.

Francis looked at her, his face full of pain, both physical and emotional. Her hands shook as she moved the dagger closer to his heart. She kissed him lightly.

"I have always loved you," she said, before plunging the dagger into his heart.

Francis gasped for air for a few seconds before his head lulled, and Mary knew he was dead.

"God, forgive me for what I've done," said Mary, barely able to stop the sobs from escaping her chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Quick updates so I don't lost momentum... Here's the next chapter! This one is quite a bit longer, and I know I'm throwing a lot of plot out right now but there will be a few fluffier moments as well as some think time for both Mary and Louis... Stay tuned, because I have plans for one hell of a story with this whole Elizabeth thing!**

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 _"This is the start of how it all ends, they used to shout my name now they whisper it..." - Lorde_

Mary hurried to her rooms, careful to not be seen by anyone. She kept the hood of her cape up, and avoided making eye contact with Louis' guard, who stood outside the door to her rooms. She walked in, closing the door quickly behind her.

"It is done," she said with a sob, letting the bloody knife clatter onto the floor.

"Are you alright?" exclaimed Louis, running up to her when he saw the blood splattered on her dress and hands.

"Francis is dead. You are now the King of France," she said.

Louis looked in horror at her, but realized that she had done it both for him and for herself. He stepped forward and led Mary to a bowl of water and began to wash the blood from her hands. At this point Mary couldn't resist any longer and began to sob uncontrollably.

Louis wanted to question her, ask her why she had done this to herself when her pain had already been almost unbearable – but instead he pulled her into his arms and whispered "I'm so sorry, Mary, truly."

She continued to sob as Louis picked her up and set her on the bed. He would have left her as she was and lain with her until she fell asleep, but her dress was bloody and he knew they couldn't arouse suspicion.

"I'm going to take your dress off, Mary," he said, careful to warn her before touching her in such an intimate way.

He began looking around the room for a place she would keep her nightgowns. Not knowing where to even start, he stuck his head out the door.

"Find one of Mary's maidservants and bring her here immediately. When you get here, under no circumstances are you to open this door, you understand?" he said to one of the guards.

The guard nodded and hurried off to fetch the servant.

Louis went back over to Mary and began to unlace her dress. Unlike the night before, he wasn't enjoying the task. In fact, all he could think about was how he could ease her pain. He had taken off most of her clothing and was holding her close in her underclothes when he decided to light a fire in the hearth. Her sobbing was beginning to slow, and Louis wondered if it was because her pain was fading, or because she was unable to continue sobbing.

After what seemed like forever, a knock came at the door.

"May I come in?" asked a woman's voice.

"No!" exclaimed Louis, jumping from the bed.

He made his way to the door when Mary spoke.

"Please don't leave me alone," she croaked, her voice hoarse.

"I will _never_ leave you alone Mary."

Louis walked to the door and without opening it, spoke to the maid.

"Where does the queen keep her nightgowns?" he asked.

"In the tall dresser near the window, in the bottom drawer, your Majesty," answered the woman.

Louis hurried over to the dresser and pulled out the first nightgown in sight. He made his way over to Mary and dressed her in the nightgown. She was still shaking by the time he was done, and when she lay down in the bed he pulled the covers up before going to sit on a chair across from her.

"Louis please – stay with me," she whispered.

"I am –" he started to answer, but after seeing the look on her face he knew that she did not mean just stay in her rooms – he understood that she wanted him to be close to her.

When the servants came to call on them in the morning, they would be discovered and rumors would circulate – but Louis did not care. He took off what was left of his armor and climbed into the bed. He wrapped his arms around her as she began to cry anew. It caused him so much pain to hear her cry like that. He couldn't even begin to sleep until she had stopped crying and her breathing slowed to normal.

* * *

The next morning, Louis and Mary were both awake when servants came in to help Mary dress for the day.

"I must go meet with the Lords now – come join me when you can," said Louis stiffly, all too aware of the presence of the servants in the room. "I'll need your help – you have more experience with this than I do."

Mary walked over to him and kissed his cheek before whispering, "I don't know if I can do this."

"I know you can," he answered once they pulled away. "You are a queen, and you have strength others only dream of having."

He longed to say more to her but didn't want to risk it being heard by the servants.

"Men from my personal guard will remain here to escort you around the castle. It may not be safe for you to yet," said Louis, nodding to his men.

"I'm sure I'll be alright –" Mary began, but stopped when she saw the look of concern on his face. "Alright."

Mary dressed in one of her most impressive gowns – she knew her place at French court was still a fragile one despite Louis' protection, and she needed to give off an air of control and regality. Everyone had to notice the power she still had.

She examined herself in the mirror. Outside of a slightly sleep deprived look, all traces of the previous day had been erased. And that was the way it had to be – no one could know what she had done. She just wished that she could be as ignorant as they all would be.

As she made her way to the King's war room, she spotted Kenna in a crowd of women whose husbands had been killed in the siege.

"Mary!" she exclaimed when she saw her queen. "Thank god you're alright!"

Kenna's face then filled with sadness.

"Is it true? Is Francis dead?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, it's true," replied Mary, her voice unwavering.

"Oh Mary, I'm so sorry –"

"It's alright. I knew what was going to happen when I left the castle two nights ago," replied Mary.

"So is everything else I've been hearing true as well? That you went to join Louis the night before the battle?"

No matter how hard she tried to conceal them, Kenna's voice betrayed her feelings about Mary's decision.

"Yes. I had to do what was best for me and what was best for Scotland. If I hadn't gone to Louis, I would be dead right now and Scotland would be under Elizabeth's rule."

"Louis wouldn't have done that to you –"

"Did Bash make it through the battle?" asked Mary, not wanting to discuss what could have happened if she had chosen differently.

Kenna shook her head. "No, he was killed protecting Francis," she said sadly.

"I am so sorry Kenna," started Mary.

"No, it's alright. He was unhappy and that woman, the witch, was driving him mad – besides, what would he have had to live for without Francis?"

Mary looked at her friend sympathetically. They had both become husbandless on the same day, though one by choice and the other by circumstance.

"Come to my chambers later, we have much to discuss," she said to Kenna before continuing to the war room.

Mary was now glad Louis had insisted she keep his personal guard with her as she felt everyone in the halls whisper and stare as she passed by. She turned to her guards.

"Ride out and find Madam Greer in the village and Lady Lola, who was on her way out of France two days ago. Find them as quickly as you can and bring them to my chambers."

The doors were opened for Mary and the first person she laid eyes on was Queen Elizabeth's envoy, who seemed to be speaking angrily with Louis. The other men in the room bowed as she entered, but the English Lord just looked at her with distaste.

"I trust my cousin Elizabeth will forgive whatever slight she thinks I caused her now that I have helped her gain a Protestant France," she said to the man.

"Your Majesty, I understand your role in helping secure a friendly France but your lover made an agreement with the English crown –"

"How dare you accuse a queen of infidelity! You did make an agreement, yes. An agreement that was broken when you abandoned Louis after the events in the village and sent him to commit high treason against his king. Elizabeth cares more about France than she did for the life of the man she was to marry, despite asking him to risk his life for her. Elizabeth must be content with this," answered Mary. "My lord, I suggest you return to England immediately. However, I would like you to deliver my warmest regards to queen Elizabeth, and I would like you to also extend to her an invitation to our wedding."

"Mary, are you sure –" started Louis.

"I am sure. I want no more animosity between the two of us. If I have done her any wrong, I would like to face her and apologize for it," stated Mary.

The English lord reluctantly bowed to the King and Queen, and swept out of the room. As he left, Lord Narcisse entered.

"Your Majesties – you have done me a great service. News of the death of the Queen mother reached me this morning. I thank you both for whatever part you had in her demise."

His words gave Mary none of the comfort she wished they would.

"You have possibly saved my life. I am indebted to you both," he said, taking a low bow.

"You're welcome, Lord Narcisse, but I thought you were on your way to the Vatican?" asked Louis.

"I have sent my most trusted men on three different routes to the Vatican. I expect a response within the week," he paused. "If you will forgive me, your majesty, I have stayed for a personal reason. Lady Lola was kidnapped by Queen Catherine's men on her way to hiding – I beg your permission to take men and rescue her and her son."

"Take whomever you need, Lord Narcisse," replied Mary, her anger boiling up, wondering what Catherine's intentions had been. "And bring her back safely."

"Yes, you majesty. However I would like to ask one more thing of you –" he said. "I would like your permission to wed Lola when she returns."

"Wed? Why?" asked Mary, "What's in it for you?"

"I care for her as I have never cared for anyone else. Meaning no disrespect to you, my King, but now that you are on the throne she has no protection for herself or her son. My name, regardless of the fact that I have been stripped of lands and wealth, will give her and her son the protection they need."

Mary looked at Louis and understood where this man was coming from, no matter how the concepts of Lord Narcisse and love conflicted in her mind.

"Very well. You have my permission," she answered.

"I need to speak with the King alone – please wait outside," said Mary to the rest of the nobles, who grumbled upon being asked to leave.

"What is it?" asked Louis.

"If the wedding is to take place in three weeks, then we must begin preparations immediately. I will have my lady, Kenna, take care of the major planning," said Mary, stalling.

"Is that all?"

"No," she said slowly. "I want to thank you for keeping your promise and protecting me from Elizabeth. I also want you to send word of our marriage to Scotland, to both the Protestant held ports and the Catholic ones. I will give you a list of lords and ladies to invite to the wedding. And – I want to know what you plan on doing with the rest of the Valois children," finished Mary.

"I have sent men to dispose of Francis' brothers and sister," replied Louis darkly.

"Is there no other way?" asked Mary, already dreading the answer.

"You know there is not. It is the only way to secure our reign in France, Mary. There cannot be a Catholic prince or princess of the blood for the opposers of my reign to rally behind."

Mary nodded, knowing he was right.

"I will leave you now to deal with the lords – I don't think they want me by your side just yet. I will make sure the castle is up and running again and begin wedding preparations."

Louis nodded.

"Have you given any thought to your coronation?" asked Mary.

"No, I have not," said Louis, shaking his head. "This has all been so sudden that I haven't had time to even process it all – I can barely believe that we will be allowed to be together, let alone married and starting a family."

"Louis – I hate to say this but I longer think I am pregnant. I do not want to wait until after we are married."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that we cannot share a bedchamber, not yet, but I want to see you at night – discreetly, of course. I want to have a child, Louis, and as soon as possible. Before the siege, knowing I could die at any moment – never knowing motherhood was one of my biggest regrets," said Mary.

"I will find a way," he replied, going over to kiss her. "I promise."

Mary returned to her chambers, where Kenna and Greer were waiting for her.

"Greer!" exclaimed Mary, enveloping her friend in a hug.

"Is what I've been hearing true, Mary? That you left Francis for Condé the night before the siege?" asked Greer.

"Yes, it's true. But I cannot dwell on the past, not now. I have to look to the future, for that is the only way forward," said Mary, no matter how much it pained her to try to forget everything she had done. "Kenna – I would like you to plan my wedding."

"Wedding? Already?" asked Kenna in bewilderment.

Mary gave her a sharp look.

"My place here at court is fragile at best until I am married and with child. We cannot have the latter without the first. The wedding will take place in three weeks and it must be a huge affair by order of the King. All the royals in Europe are to be invited, both Catholic and Protestant."

"I'm delighted that you would ask me, Mary. You know, I think a wedding like this will do everyone some good. Thinking about the new King and Queen rather than all the horrible the things that have been happening over the past few months will be refreshing," replied Kenna, no doubt already imagining the possibilities a royal wedding might entail.

"Greer, you will return to court and help me to restore the castle to normal life. I have already sent for Lord Castleroy and the both of you have been given a royal pardon, just as nearly all other Protestant prisoners have."

"Mary – oh my god, I never dreamed – thank you Mary," replied Greer, hugging her friend again. "Would you allow me to keep my, er, brothel – no one will know, of course, but I've really come to enjoy the independence it gives me."

Mary thought for a moment before answering.

"Yes, but only as long as it does not damage your reputation, is that clear?"

Greer nodded, giddy with happiness as her life was finally coming back together.

"Mary, where is Lola?" asked Kenna. "I haven't seen her since the siege."

Mary looked down at her lap.

"Lord Narcisse told us that Queen Catherine had her and John kidnapped when they were fleeing to safety. He has gone out to search for her with Louis' best men."

"That horrible woman! Oh god, I hope Lola's alright," exclaimed Greer.

"Narcisse truly cares for her – if she is still alive, then he will bring her back safely," said Kenna confidently.

"There is one more thing… I have invited Queen Elizabeth to the wedding," said Mary slowly.

"Is that wise, Mary? She hates you, and now you've taken the man she was going to marry," said Kenna.

"Whether it is wise or not, it must be done. When she sends her envoy, we will show him every kindness. I want to make peace with her. It is time to end our feud."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here we are, chapter four! For those of you who are reading the story and enjoying it, please leave a review! And if you have any questions - feel free to PM me or leave those in a review as well! Enjoy this one, there's a bit of Mary x Louis fluff at the end 3**

* * *

 _"I understand it now; why hurricanes are named after people."_

Mary sat next to Kenna, listening her talk about wedding details as she examined the seating charts.

"We can't have this many Catholic nobles sitting near Queen Elizabeth's envoy," said Mary, "they'll –"

"Pardon the intrusion your majesty, but Lady Lola and Lord Narcisse have returned to the castle," interrupted a messenger.

Mary dropped the seating charts and rushed out to see her friend, followed closely by Kenna. They found Lola waiting in Narcisse's rooms. Though she was under both Mary's and Louis' protection, she was still in danger as she was the mother of Francis' only child.

Mary let out a sigh of relief when she saw that both Lola and the child were unscathed.

"Lola! Thank goodness you're alright! Is John alright too?" asked Kenna as she enveloped her friend in a hug.

"Yes, we're both fine," answered Lola, avoiding Mary's gaze.

"Lola, what's wrong?" asked Kenna.

Mary knew what Lola was going to say before she opened her mouth.

"How could you Mary? How could you let this happen to Francis – to all of us?"

"I will not apologize for my actions. I did what I thought was best for my country and my people. I am sorry for the pain this has caused you and for the danger you and your son have been put in – but Louis and I have given Lord Narcisse permission to marry you and to claim your son as his own. It will offer you both protection," replied Mary, tears in her eyes.

"I thought you loved Francis –"

"I did love Francis, but I love Scotland more! If I hadn't betrayed him, I would have lost everything!" Mary lashed out. "I know that I have made the right decision, and as your queen and your friend, I implore you to not to question my choice."

"Very well. I will try Mary," replied Lola emotionlessly, while Kenna looked at Mary with a slightly bewildered look in her eyes.

"Now then – your wedding to Narcisse will happen at the earliest possible time. I will speak to Louis about granting Narcisse some land so that if being at court poses any danger to you or to John, you will have a safe place to go," said Mary coldly.

"Yes, Mary," answered Lola.

Mary could sense a rift forming between them, and knew that despite them being her friends, they might never understand her decision.

"We will hold the service tonight. A proper wedding can be held once things at court have settled and any danger has passed," continued Mary. "I have invited your families to come from Scotland for my wedding – yours can stay longer for your wedding if they wish," she said to Lola.

"Have you really invited all our families?" asked Lola, her feelings mixed about seeing her parents again.

"Of course. I've invited all the important nobles in Scotland," replied Mary. "I expect the castle will be half full of Scots by the time the month is up."

"Oh how wonderful it will be to hear Scots again – and to see all of our families together!" exclaimed Kenna. "Is your mother coming, Mary?"

"I'm sure she'll be here trying to gain the upper hand on me again. Lola, I'll have the kitchens prepare a special meal, and I will talk to the servants about finding you a wedding dress. I know this isn't what you wanted, but I want to make the best of it," said Mary, her tone soft once more.

"Thank you Mary," said Lola, giving her friend a small smile.

"Now we've got to get you out of here, Narcisse can't see you before the wedding!" exclaimed Kenna playfully, grabbing Lola's hand. "Is there anything I can help with, Mary? For Lola's wedding, I mean," asked Kenna.

"No, I know how busy you are with my own wedding preparations. I will take care of it all myself," replied Mary. "Besides, I want something to keep me occupied."

 _Something that won't remind me of what I've done,_ she left out.

"Find John's nanny and tell her she will need to take care of the child for the rest of the day here in these rooms. Do not tell anyone but her that Lady Lola is here, understood?" said Mary to a servant. "And tell Lord Narcisse that he is about to get married."

The man nodded and rushed off to do the Queen's bidding.

After Kenna practically dragged Lola Mary's rooms, Mary had the maidservants find every white gown in Mary's extensive dressers.

"How about this one?" asked Mary, holding up her own wedding gown tenderly.

"Oh Mary, I can't – that's the dress you wore at your own –" said Lola.

"I know," said Mary. "That's why I want you to have it. I don't want to see it and have it remind me of – of something sad – I want to see it and be reminded of my friend."

"If you're sure, Mary," sighed Lola, taking the dress in her arms.

"Now put it on and we'll have a seamstress come by and make sure it fits perfectly," said Mary, leaving the room to have the servants find a seamstress and tell the kitchens to prepare a special supper.

"I've never seen Mary like this before," sighed Lola as Kenna helped her out of her dress. "She hasn't said a single word about what happened, or about Condé –I suppose we can't call him that anymore."

"She didn't say much to me either. I'm sure she'll talk about it when she's ready," replied Kenna, not sounding too convinced herself.

"I don't know… This is way beyond anything any of us have ever dealt with. We don't even know what happened to make Mary choose Louis over Francis, let alone what happened to her during the siege when she disappeared," said Lola. "Kenna, I'm worried about her."

"I was too, but she seems to be doing alright. Almost happy, you know? Like when she first started having the affair with Condé," sighed Kenna, remembering how simple things had been when they had all thought Mary just needed some space before things went back to the way they had been with Francis. "King Louis, I mean…"

"I suppose but… she seems almost too happy. You know her, there's more she's hiding from us," said Lola. "She seems happy on the outset – but something is off, I can tell."

Kenna nodded and looked down at her lap and then shook her head.

"Enough about Mary. Today is your day, and it's time you got ready!" she exclaimed.

Outside the door, Mary had heard the last few snippets of her ladies' conversation. Her hand ghosted over the door handle but she couldn't bear to face them, especially Lola. She needed time alone.

* * *

The wedding was a simple ceremony, performed by one of the local clergymen with Mary, Louis and a few Catholic nobles in attendance. The banquet wasn't anything extravagant either, but it seemed Narcisse had found some wonderful musicians nearby to play wonderful dancing music. The festivity managed to take nearly everyone's minds off the instability of the country, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"My Queen, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Louis said, bowing low to Mary.

"Of course," she said, her cheeks turning red as she smiled at him.

Despite her attempt to look happy and carefree for the sake of her friend, Louis could see that her smiles never quite reached her eyes. There was something on her mind and knowing she was not at peace left him aching to help.

Not knowing what else to do, he swept Mary into the middle of the dance floor and held her as close as was considered respectable for an unmarried King and Queen in public.

"We could leave – I know you are thinking about something," he said quietly.

"This is Lola's wedding, one I practically forced her into. I can't leave now. Besides, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves by leaving early," she replied, her masked expression falling for a moment to reveal a glimpse of worry and sadness on her face.

"If that is what you want."

"It's not about what I want, or what you want – not anymore. We are King and Queen. We must keep up appearances, if not for ourselves then for our countries. Surely you know that," whispered Mary.

The dance finished and Louis could tell that Mary didn't want to be at the party anymore. They walked over to get some wine when a giggling and likely tipsy Kenna and General Renaud – now no longer a mercenary, but a General of the King's army – came up to them.

"Mary, your Majesty," said Kenna, bowing to Louis, "this is General Renaud."

"Yes, I believe we've met," said Mary, nodding at the man.

She wondered what Kenna was doing with him, knowing that when fighting Bash in the castle courtyard, Kenna had chosen to warn Bash rather than Renaud about an incoming arrow.

"We've come to ask for your Majesties' permission to wed," said Renaud, taking Kenna's hand in his.

Mary was taken aback, while Louis smiled.

"Of course, you have our blessing," said Louis.

"If you do not think it is too soon," answered Mary, putting on a smile.

She'd heard that Bash and Kenna had been separated, but she hadn't known that they had grown far enough apart for Kenna to already want to marry another. Mary looked up at Louis and was suddenly reminded of herself, and of her own choice to marry less than a month after Francis' death.

"If it is not too soon for her Majesty," Renaud said to her, bowing, "then it is not too soon for one of her ladies."

"Of course," said Mary, attempting to read into his comment.

Was it possible that he was still loyal to Francis? Or had he simply decided, however unwisely, to take a poke at Mary's feelings?

"I do not feel well," Mary said to Louis as soon as Kenna and Renaud had walked away.

She clutched Louis' arm and swayed as if she were close to fainting.

"Are you alright?" he asked, reacting immediately and grabbing hold of Mary around the waist.

"I'm sure it's nothing, I just need to go lie down," replied Mary, her voice quiet.

Louis waved Mary's guards away as he led her to her chambers. Once they were inside, Mary let go of Louis and sat down.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright? Should I have someone fetch the court physician?" asked Louis, kneeling down in front of her.

"Of course I'm alright, I just had to get away from the party – and I didn't want Lola to think I left without a good reason," said Mary. "I want to be alone with you – being around anyone else right now reminds me too much of all the pain I've caused everyone here."

She knelt down and kissed him.

"Mary, you are the one feeling the most pain right now. If I could take it all away, I would do it, no matter what it meant for me," said Louis, breathless from their kiss.

"I don't need it to be taken away. Being able to share it with someone who won't question it is enough," she said, kissing him again.

 **Edit: A/N - I've just received two very in-depth negative reviews. I know this story has it's rough patches, which I hope to fix in the future but I'm writing this story for me more than for anyone else. I don't care if you think I ruined the integrity of some of the characters - this is my story and if you don't like it, don't read it but more importantly don't comment on my portrayal of characters or the plot I've chosen unless you can do it respectfully through words that are constructive rather than hurtful.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here you go! I know this one is short but it's like half Mary/Louis fluff and relationship development and I also added something that popped into my head reading some of those nasty guest reviews. Just to repeat this one more time, if you don't like the story, don't read it, and don't leave negative comments. Anyway, hopefully I'll have another chapter done in the next couple days!**

* * *

 _"I'm the ghost of a girl that I want to be most, I'm the shell of a girl that I used to know well" - Christina Perri_

Louis and Mary lay in bed, him tracing circles on her bare shoulder. He had started being gentler and slower with her, not wanting to push her too far, knowing she was already on edge. The reasons for Mary's inability to be intimate went unmentioned, though both she and Louis knew it was because she was still trying to deal with the aftermath of what she had done.

"You've been quiet all evening but I can tell there's something troubling you," said Louis, having noticed her mind wandering constantly during the wedding.

For a while, she didn't reply and Louis wondered if she just didn't feel like talking.

"Was it wrong of me to do what I did?" asked Mary after a few minutes, her voice wavering. "You are the only one I can talk to now – you're the only one who knows the whole story. Everyone, even my ladies, judge me for my decision, and they don't even know the half of what I've done."

Louis sat up next to her and turned her face towards him.

"Mary, I know I have not been King long, but I do think that as monarchs, we will always make decisions that our subjects may not understand or know the truth about."

Mary's thoughts went immediately to the murder of King Henry.

"Louis, promise me there will be no secrets between us. I believe _that_ is truly what drove Francis and I apart, and I do not want to risk losing you, ever," said Mary, looking up at him. "It can be lonely, being Queen and King."

"You're right," said Louis, taking a deep breath. "We both have many secrets and it may take a while for us to bring them all to light, but… My brother is the one at fault for what happened to you the night the castle was attacked. He was the one who gave Henry the poisoned bible."

Mary drew a deep breath, wondering how to bring up things she had thought were buried in the past.

"It was not the bible that caused it so do not try to blame yourself. When Henry went mad Francis was the one who killed him in the joust. Francis did horrible things to keep that a secret from me and from the rest of the world – it was his choices after Henry's death that caused so much death and pain," she explained. "He never told me. He said it was all to protect me, but in the end, it's what ended up hurting me most."

"I understand his decision – but he acted selfishly in trying to protect you like that," replied Louis. "But I should not judge because I cannot say that I would not have done the same to protect you."

"I have acted selfishly too. There is something else I need to tell you – something I should have told you when I came to you the night of the siege," said Mary, closing her eyes. "Francis was dying."

"What?" exclaimed Louis.

"I found Nostradamus in the halls a few days before you laid siege to the castle. I convinced him to tell me the truth about Francis' condition. I was afraid, Louis. Nostradamus said Francis didn't have much time left, and I knew that if he were to die without an heir, I would be cast out from French court and thus Scotland would lose France as an ally. When Francis told me what you said, I immediately thought of going to you. But what truly convinced me to go was that I saw no future with Francis – whether or not I was pregnant with your child. I did what I thought would give me the best chance of keeping my life stable, and I have been using Scotland as an excuse to cover up the fact that I was afraid – I was so afraid that I betrayed people I loved. And I hate myself for it."

Mary had started crying again, tears rolling down her cheeks. Louis wanted desperately to be upset with her – knowing he hadn't necessarily been her first choice hurt. Hearing that she still loved Francis hurt. But when he looked at her, knowing what she had put herself through – he couldn't.

"I am just as much to blame as you are - maybe even more. But what's done is done, and if we dwell on the past we can't move forward," said Louis.

They lay there for a while, listening to the sounds of one another's breaths. He held her gently until she stopped crying.

"I suppose you should go now, before we fall asleep," said Mary.

"Mary, promise you won't push me away," said Louis quietly.

Mary looked at him and whispered, "I promise."

She thought of what would happen to her if she pushed him away – she would finally, truly be alone, and there would be no hope for her.

"I cannot wait until the day when there is nothing stopping us from spending the night in each other's arms," said Louis, smiling at her and swinging his legs over the bed.

He pulled his shirt on and kissed Mary goodnight.

"And I cannot wait for the day until I no longer feel this pain," whispered Mary as he left her rooms.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is another short chapter and basically just a filler - I felt like I needed some regular unimportant business at the castle before we get on with the Elizabeth and wedding drama. Hope you guys enjoy (and if you do leave a review!) No quote to go with this one I'm afraid since there isn't much substance, but I promise the next chapter will have more Mary and more intensity.**

* * *

Within a few days, the castle seemed up and running normally again – there was even a certain uneasy excitement now that plans for the wedding were in full swing. Chambers were being prepared for all the royal dignitaries, and food and drink was being acquired to feed the hundreds of guests that were expected. Invitations had been sent out, and acceptances had begun rolling in from all corners of Europe. For all outward appearances, French court was as it had always been. Those not familiar with the castle would have missed all the signs of pain and lingering fear.

There were a few more women wearing black, a few more Catholic lords who moved through the corridors looking over their shoulders instinctively. Hushed conversations were common in the darkest corners of the castle, where people were confident they wouldn't be heard. The despair felt by the residents of the castle just a few days prior had been silenced, with everyone grieving alone and afraid and putting on a happy face for fear of being suspected as a traitor to the new King.

Mary walked through the banquet halls astonished at the transformation Kenna was performing. The walls had been draped with white linen, giving the room a billowy appearance. Mary tried as hard as she could to find things to be happy about – anything to keep her mind from wandering to those dark places it had been visiting. She hoped her ladies were managing to do the same.

"Kenna!" exclaimed Mary, spotting her friend among the servants who were milling about the room. "How are the preparations coming along?"

"There's still an enormous amount of work to do, but I know it'll be ready in time," said Kenna and stepped closer to Mary. "To be honest," she said quietly, "I'm finding it hardest to replace all the royal crests that need to be changed before the wedding. They're everywhere!"

Mary swayed as she felt a sense of dread come over her as the thing she had been trying to avoid all day popped back up at her.

"Do they all have to be replaced?" she asked.

"Of course!" replied Kenna. "It would be an insult to King Louis and his entire family if even a single Valois crest remained in the castle."

"Then see it is done," said Mary, not being able to look her friend in the eye.

"We miss you, Mary," replied Kenna, but Mary had already walked away.

Louis poured over lists of Protestant and Catholic nobles, looking for men he trusted to bring to court when a knock came at the door.

"Lady Lola requests an audience with the King," said the guard who opened the door.

Louis nodded at him. "That will be all for today," he said to his advisors, who left the room.

"Lady Lola," he said once she entered the room. "What can I do for you?"

Lola shifted uncomfortably, still unsure of how to behave around Louis now that he was King. She had once regarded him a friend – she had almost married him by Mary's request – but now she wasn't sure what to feel, knowing he had killed Francis and caused Mary to betray so many of her friends.

"Your Majesty –" she began, but Louis stopped her.

"Louis. Just Louis. We were friends once, and my being King does not have to change that – unless you want it to," he said, remembering she could have no love for him after he'd taken the throne.

"I'm sorry your Majesty, but after what you did to Francis, to all of us… I do not consider you a friend," said Lola, sounding much more confident than she had intended.

"I understand. I deserve your anger, but you must know that everything I have done – I have done for Mary. And neither of us can be at fault for the other circumstances fate brought about," he said, trying not to sound like he was denying his guilt.

He knew he could never voice his guilt and how much he had hated doing what he had had to do. He had to remain confident and strong, because while he had England and Scotland's support now, he needed the support of French lords to truly secure the throne.

"What was it you needed, Lady Lola?" he asked, his tone changing as he attempted to put the past where it was meant to be.

"I was wondering if you could grant my husband, Narcisse, a permanent position at court. Despite recent events, I wish to remain with Mary as her lady," said Lola, naming Mary with unintentional venom.

Louis looked at the lists of Lords he had been poring over to find men loyal to him and thought about the positions that needed to be filled at court.

"If it is a question of loyalty, I can assure you, he had no love for King Francis –"

"What kind of position did you have in mind?" asked Louis, cutting her off, not wanting to talk about Francis.

"Anything to keep us at court. I know you have already been taking counsel from him so you know he is a useful advisor," continued Lola.

"Would Grand Chamberlain work?" asked Louis, interrupting her. "The position includes many unnecessary ceremonial duties, but will consist mostly of advising the King and conducting the King's business here in the castle."

Lola was taken aback by his proposal. She had hoped for a high-ranking position for Stefan, but this was beyond what she had thought possible with a Protestant now on the throne of France.

"If you are trying to buy my forgiveness with a high-ranking position for my husband then you do not know me very well," said Lola.

"I am not trying to buy your forgiveness, Lady Lola. I will earn it, just as Mary will, if I indeed deserve it. As you said, Lord Narcisse's advice has been extremely valuable, and he is still a powerful Catholic noble despite his lack of lands. And I know how much your safety and comfort matter to Mary," finished Louis.

"Thank you… Louis," said Lola, nodding at him solemnly.

Lola bowed to the King before leaving the room, leaving Louis alone. He was still getting used to the concept that he was King, and every day he wished someone had taught him how to be a good King. He knew enough about ruling a country and about court matters, but nothing could have prepared him for the loneliness he felt constantly, even when surrounded by his lords and advisors. His brother was a King, but hardly a good one that Louis would want to learn from.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another filler because school has started and I have so little time to do what I love (aka write). Hope you enjoy, I promise the next chapter will be better and longer! And also I promise to address the Elisabeth of Valois thing in the next chapter (with actual historical fact).**

* * *

 _"Loneliness is a short term test of character, not a permanent condition."_

Within a few days, the castle seemed up and running normally again – there was even a certain uneasy excitement now that plans for the wedding were in full swing. Chambers were being prepared for all the royal dignitaries, and food and drink was being acquired to feed the hundreds of guests that were expected. Invitations had been sent out, and acceptances had begun rolling in from all corners of Europe. For all outward appearances, French court was as it had always been. Those not familiar with the castle would have missed all the signs of pain and lingering fear.

There were a few more women wearing black, a few more Catholic lords who moved through the corridors looking over their shoulders instinctively. Hushed conversations were common in the darkest corners of the castle, where people were confident they wouldn't be heard. The despair felt by the residents of the castle just a few days prior had been silenced, with everyone grieving alone and afraid and putting on a happy face for fear of being suspected as a traitor to the new King.

Mary walked through the banquet halls astonished at the transformation Kenna was performing. The walls had been draped with white linen, giving the room a billowy appearance. Mary tried as hard as she could to find things to be happy about – anything to keep her mind from wandering to those dark places it had been visiting. She hoped her ladies were managing to do the same.

"Kenna!" exclaimed Mary, spotting her friend among the servants who were milling about the room. "How are the preparations coming along?"

"There's still an enormous amount of work to do, but I know it'll be ready in time," said Kenna and stepped closer to Mary. "To be honest," she said quietly, "I'm finding it hardest to replace all the royal crests that need to be changed before the wedding. They're everywhere!"

Mary swayed as she felt a sense of dread come over her as the thing she had been trying to avoid all day popped back up at her.

"Do they all have to be replaced?" she asked.

"Of course!" replied Kenna. "It would be an insult to King Louis and his entire family if even a single Valois crest remained in the castle."

"Then see it is done," said Mary, not being able to look her friend in the eye.

"We miss you, Mary," replied Kenna, but Mary had already walked away.

* * *

Louis poured over lists of Protestant and Catholic nobles, looking for men he trusted to bring to court when a knock came at the door.

"Lady Lola requests an audience with the King," said the guard who opened the door.

Louis nodded at him. "That will be all for today," he said to his advisors, who left the room.

"Lady Lola," he said once she entered the room. "What can I do for you?"

Lola shifted uncomfortably, still unsure of how to behave around Louis now that he was King. She had once regarded him a friend – she had almost married him by Mary's request – but now she wasn't sure what to feel, knowing he had killed Francis and caused Mary to betray so many of her friends.

"Your Majesty –" she began, but Louis stopped her.

"Louis. Just Louis. We were friends once, and my being King does not have to change that – unless you want it to," he said, remembering she could have no love for him after he'd taken the throne.

"I'm sorry your Majesty, but after what you did to Francis, to all of us… I do not consider you a friend," said Lola, sounding much more confident than she had intended.

"I understand. I deserve your anger, but you must know that everything I have done – I have done for Mary. And neither of us can be at fault for the other circumstances fate brought about," he said, trying not to sound like he was denying his guilt.

He knew he could never voice his guilt and how much he had hated doing what he had had to do. He had to remain confident and strong, because while he had England and Scotland's support now, he needed the support of French lords to truly secure the throne.

"What was it you needed, Lady Lola?" he asked, his tone changing as he attempted to put the past where it was meant to be.

"I was wondering if you could grant my husband, Narcisse, a permanent position at court. Despite recent events, I wish to remain with Mary as her lady," said Lola, naming Mary with unintentional venom.

Louis looked at the lists of Lords he had been poring over to find men loyal to him and thought about the positions that needed to be filled at court.

"If it is a question of loyalty, I can assure you, he had no love for King Francis –"

"What kind of position did you have in mind?" asked Louis, cutting her off, not wanting to talk about Francis.

"Anything to keep us at court. I know you have already been taking counsel from him so you know he is a useful advisor," continued Lola.

"Would Grand Chamberlain work?" asked Louis, interrupting her. "The position includes many unnecessary ceremonial duties, but will consist mostly of advising the King and conducting the King's business here in the castle."

Lola was taken aback by his proposal. She had hoped for a high-ranking position for Stefan, but this was beyond what she had thought possible with a Protestant now on the throne of France.

"If you are trying to buy my forgiveness with a high-ranking position for my husband then you do not know me very well," said Lola.

"I am not trying to buy your forgiveness, Lady Lola. I will earn it, just as Mary will, if I indeed deserve it. As you said, Lord Narcisse's advice has been extremely valuable, and he is still a powerful Catholic noble despite his lack of lands. And I know how much your safety and comfort matter to Mary," finished Louis.

"Thank you… Louis," said Lola, nodding at him solemnly.

Lola bowed to the King before leaving the room, leaving Louis alone. He was still getting used to the concept that he was King, and every day he wished someone had taught him how to be a good King. He knew enough about ruling a country and about court matters, but nothing could have prepared him for the loneliness he felt constantly, even when surrounded by his lords and advisors. His brother was a King, but hardly a good one that Louis would want to learn from.

* * *

Greer paced in Mary's rooms while she waited for her queen to return. When she had heard that Aloysius had returned to the castle, she had panicked and rushed off to find Mary.

It seemed like hours before the door to Mary's room opened and Mary walked through the doors. Greer caught Mary's expression falter just before she took notice of her lady – Mary was hiding something.

"Greer, what are you doing here?" asked Mary, surprised. "I thought now that Lord Castleroy had returned to the castle, you'd want to spend time with him…"

Greer took a deep breath and avoided Mary's gaze.

"Well… you see, Mary…" began Greer.

"Is something wrong, Greer?" asked Mary, quickly coming over to her friend.

"I've been unfaithful in my marriage… I never thought I was going to see Aloysius again, and with my responsibilities at court gone, well I thought I could finally be with Leith," said Greer solemnly. "So when I heard Aloysius had returned to the castle, I panicked. I don't think I can face him, Mary."

Mary thought for a moment.

"He is your husband, Greer. Even if you are afraid, you must at least see him – maybe he'll understand. He does love you, doesn't he?" said Mary, forcing the words out.

"I'm just afraid, Mary. What if he doesn't want me anymore?" asked Greer worriedly. "The protestants allow divorce – I'll be disgraced, more so than I was before."

"You'll never know if you don't talk to him," said Mary, giving her friend an encouraging smile.

"I suppose you're right," sighed Greer. "Mary, will you come with me?"

"Of course," replied Mary, trying to be happy for her friend.

They walked together to Greer's old rooms – and when the silence became uncomfortable, Greer's curiosity bubbled up.

"Mary – I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I talked to Lola and Kenna and you haven't been talking to us very much lately – in fact it seems as if you're avoiding spending time with us, and…" she trailed off when she saw Mary's stoic expression dropping to reveal dark circles under her glassy eyes.

"And?" asked Mary, her voice quivering.

"And I want you to know that if there's something troubling you, you can tell us. We're your best friends – and I know that Lola has been hard on you for everything that's happened, but we love you Mary, and we want to help," finished Greer just as they reached the door to her chambers.

"There is nothing you can help with right now," replied Mary. "Are you ready?" she asked, taking hold of the door handle.

When Greer nodded slowly, Mary opened the door. Greer had to keep from gasping when she saw her husband. Though he was back in his normal clothes, he was very thin, and his skin was a sickly pale color.

"Greer!" he exclaimed when he saw his wife.

Greer ran up to him and embraced him wholeheartedly before jerking away suddenly.

"Are you alright? You look horrible!" she gasped as he held her tenderly in his arms.

"I'm afraid prison was not kind to me…" he continued as Mary watched the exchange from outside the door.

She smiled as she saw that her choice had led to at least one happy ending, even if it was not hers yet.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! So this was really hastily written, and I apologize for mistakes or inconsistencies, but I had to write! I'll be updating more frequently now that I've gotten some schoolwork out of the way, so I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! Leave a review if you like the chapter (but please not a nasty one, I've gotten more than enough of those)

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Over a week had gone by and acceptances had poured in from all over Europe – the first Catholic-Protestant wedding was going to be the most popular event of the decade. Mary had left the rest of the planning to Greer and Kenna, not having enough time to attend to any details herself, as she was constantly spending time with Louis, helping him settle into his new role as King.

"This wedding will be the biggest expense of the year – we're housing hundreds of royal guests, along with their personal guards and entourages. We'll have to find the money somewhere," pondered Mary as she sat across from the court treasurer.

"There are many lords who might be willing to lend us the money until the Crown is in a position to pay it back – which we will be, if Queen Elizabeth agrees to the trade agreement we're going to propose," replied the small, fat man.

"Trade agreement? Between France and England?" asked Mary, turning to her husband-to-be. "Once we are married, France and Scotland will be allies once again. You will be King Consort of Scotland – you can't make a trade agreement with the one country that opposes our alliance."

"I have had the plans drawn up for a treaty – "

Mary looked as if she was going to speak, but Louis continued.

"Which will be proposed only if Queen Elizabeth accepts our wedding invitation and you decide she no longer poses a threat to Scotland," he finished.

Mary nodded slowly. "Very well. We will see if she accepts."

Once the meeting was done, Mary and Louis made their way to the King's study, where a host of nobles were waiting to meet with the King. Mary had heard whispers that many of the more radical Protestant nobles were unsympathetic to her, and were trying to convince Louis to withdraw French troops from Scotland.

"Your Majesties," began one man, who had become prominent as one of the most radical protestant Lords, "We are happy you have graced us with your presence today."

He turned to Louis.

"We have many matters to discuss, most of which I believe would be quite uninteresting to her Majesty Queen Mary, perhaps –"

"My Lord, do you propose that I leave, so that you may discuss the removal of French soldiers from Scotland? By all means, I would like to hear your reasons," exclaimed Mary.

When the man could not respond, Mary looked him straight in the eyes.

"You may remember hearing of Catherine De Medici's extensive network of spies. You should know mine is just as large, spanning entire nations."

"Could I please have a moment alone with Queen Mary? Please my lords, wait outside," said Louis as a dozen or so people filed out of the room.

"Mary – I know our engagement makes France and Scotland allies, but until we are married, you are not Queen Consort of France, and until then, maybe it best if you let me handle my own nobles –" said Louis.

"I'm sorry. I forget that I am not still Queen of France. But you must know, Louis, the Catholic lords doubt you. They are looking for some way to replace you with another of the Valois line, but my refusal to convert has kept them at bay for now," said Mary. "I cannot look weak in the eyes of any of your Lords if we are to hold our alliance together."

"Mary, neither can I – and a foreign Queen deciding the matters of France does not do either of us much good. Let the nobles think you have left matters to me – but I promise, I won't make any decisions without speaking to you first."

His words echoed Francis' from so long ago.

"Alright, but only until we are married, after that –"

She stopped as Lord Narcisse barged into the room, startling both the King and Queen.

"Your majesties, I have wonderful news!" he exclaimed as he bowed. "It's from the Vatican."

"Yes, what is it?" asked Louis, taking Mary's hand in anticipation.

"You majesties, the Pope has granted his blessing for your marriage, under the condition that there be a ceremony officiated by one of the Vatican's own men. A high-ranking cardinal is being sent here to perform the service. He is due to arrive in the next two weeks," explained Narcisse.

Mary let out a sigh of relief she didn't know she had been holding in.

"This is truly wonderful news. The coronation must take place then, while the Cardinal is still here. You will be the first King crowned by God in both the Catholic and Protestant faiths."

Louis pulled Mary in close and kissed her.

"It's all coming together – all we need now is –" he said, looking down at Mary's abdomen. "Well after our wedding there will be nothing to stop us from trying as hard as we can."

Narcisse cleared his throat.

"Is that all?" asked Louis, not letting go of Mary but turning to look at the man.

"Not quite. I have received word that King Philip of Spain has plans to lay claim to the French throne in the name of Catholicism through his wife, Elisabeth of Valois," said Narcisse.

"What?" snapped Louis, letting go of Mary.

"I thought you said you were having the remaining members of the house of Valois _disposed_ of," exclaimed Mary. "And no matter how much it pains me to say this, it is necessary for our rule to be secure."

"Elisabeth is unreachable because she is queen of Spain – murdering her would be an act of war and we cannot afford a war against Spain right now, not without the assured support of England," answered Louis. "But it isn't possible – his claim is illegitimate. France in under Salic law, which forbids succession through the female line. Besides, she ceded her claim to the throne when she married King Philip."

"Nonetheless, he will attempt to make the claim, especially if a son is born to him before one is to you – I believe the Cardinal is coming not only to officiate a wedding, but to see what your intentions are as a Catholic queen married to a Protestant," said Narcisse, turning to Mary. "If he doesn't see that you have Catholic interests at heart, he may urge the pope to support King Philip's claim when he makes it. And he will make it."

"I will convince this Cardinal of my intentions. As for providing a son – well, my lord, you have been privy to a private conversation between your King and Queen. What was it Louis said?" asked Mary coolly.

"That after your wedding, there will be nothing to stop you from trying as hard as you can to provide an heir. I understand, your Majesty."

Narcisse bowed and left.

"When you say things like that, you are irresistible, you know that?" asked Louis, beginning to kiss Mary's neck.

"Louis, not here…" she murmured as his lips travelled down her neck to her chest.

The minute he heard her, he snapped out of it. No matter how long they had been together, it was his first instinct to stop when she told him to – he promised himself he would never forget what had happened to her.

"I'm sorry, Mary. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable," he said.

"You didn't, but we both have duties to attend to. I'll see you tonight then," replied Mary cheekily, leaving Louis chuckling and breathing heavily.


End file.
